In the process of shipping an item from one location to another, a protective packaging material is typically placed in the shipping container to fill any voids and/or to cushion the item during the shipping process. Some commonly used protective packaging materials are plastic foam peanuts and plastic bubble pack. While these conventional plastic materials seem to perform adequately as cushioning products, they are not without disadvantages. Perhaps the most serious drawback of plastic bubble wrap and/or plastic foam peanuts is their effect on our environment. Quite simply, these plastic packaging materials are not biodegradable and thus they cannot avoid further multiplying our planet's already critical waste disposal problems. The non-biodegradability of these packaging materials has become increasingly important in light of many industries adopting more progressive policies in terms of environmental responsibility.
These and other disadvantages of conventional plastic packaging materials have made paper protective packaging material a very popular alterative. Paper is biodegradable, recyclable and renewable; making it an environmentally responsible choice for conscientious companies.
While paper in sheet form could possibly be used as a protective packaging material, it is usually preferable to convert the sheets of paper into a low density cushioning product. This conversion may be accomplished by a cushioning conversion machine, examples of which are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,026,198; 4,085,662; 4,109,040; 4,237,776; 4,557,716; 4,650,456; 4,717,613; 4,750,896; and 4,968,291. These cushioning conversion machines convert sheet-like stock material, such as paper in multi-ply form, into low density cushioning pads. The pads produced by these machines each have lateral pillow-like portions separated by a thin central band, and the pads may be of a variety of lengths.
In the above-discussed cushioning conversion machines (and in many other cushion-creating machines), the pads are discharged in a predetermined discharge direction through an outlet. Typically, the pads are discharged to a transitional zone from which the pads may later be removed at the appropriate time for insertion into a container for cushioning purposes.
In the past, a variety of arrangements have been used as transitional zones in packaging systems. For example, temporary receptacles (ie., bins) have been placed adjacent the machine's exit so that the pads can be discharged therein to form a pile. At the appropriate time, the packaging person would reach into the transitional receptacle, retrieve a pad from the accumulated pile, return to his/her workstation and then insert the pad in the container.
Additionally, horizontal packaging surfaces (i.e., tables) have been employed as transitional zones. Specifically, the horizontal surface is positioned so that the pads are deposited thereon. When a packaging need arises, the packaging person picks up the pad from the transitional surface and then, if the transitional surface also functions as a workstation, immediately inserts the pad in the container.
Slides also have been used as a transitional zone for a cushion-creating machine. One such slide consisted of a semi-cylindrical conduit having a width just slightly greater than the width of the pads. The slide was positioned adjacent to the machine so that its top portion was proximate to the machine's exit whereby the discharged pads would be deposited thereon. Additionally, the slide was oriented relative to the machine so that it was longitudinally aligned with the product direction discharge. (In other words, the slide direction was a continuation of the machine's discharge direction.) In this manner, the discharged pads stacked end-to-end in the conduit and, at the appropriate time, the bottom pad would be removed and used for cushioning purposes. After the bottom pad was removed, the other pads on the slide would slide down, thereby presenting a next pad for removal.
These and other transitional zones have all performed quite successfully in a variety of packaging systems and likely will continue to do so in the future. However, a certain packaging situation has recently arisen which has some special transitional needs. Particularly, this packaging situation requires a transitional zone which automatically sequentially provides a single pad in an orderly fashion for pick-up, while occupying a minimal amount of space and maximizing packaging efficiency.
None of the above-discussed transitional zones appears to be capable of satisfying these specific transitional requirements. Specifically, a temporary receptacle (i.e., a bin) will not present the pads in an orderly fashion because they are simply accumulated in a pile. Moreover, many space-conserving forms of receptacles require a packaging person to bend over to retrieve a pad. While a transitional horizontal surface (i.e., a table) may be designed to eliminate the need for a packaging person to bend over, the pads will still be accumulated in a pile and may even fall off the surface in a high volume situation.
Regarding the transitional slide described above, it presents the pads in an orderly, sequential fashion. However, the pads are stacked end-to-end and, as a consequence of this, less than careful removal of the pad at the lower end of the slide might cause the next pad to be inadvertently dislodged from the chute, with the dislodged pad falling from the chute or otherwise not being properly positioned for easy and quick pick-up.